ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — in cards
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. object — a thing
  5. tear — to rip
  6. lie — to recline
  7. object — to protest
  8. chest — of your body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. object — an aim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chest — a box
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hand — help
  21. club — for golf
  22. tear — from crying
  23. club — a group
  24. chest — of your body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com